Richard Abell
Medium
Enamel
Dimensions
Oval, 1 3/4 x 1 3/8 in. (45 x 35 mm)
Classification
Miniatures
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Moses Lazarus Collection, Gift of Josephine and Sarah Lazarus, in memory of their father, 1888–95
Accession Number
95.14.61
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite enamel miniature portrait, *Richard Abell* (1724), by Christian Friedrich Zin, captures the elegance of early 18th-century portraiture in a diminutive oval frame measuring just 1 ¾ x 1 ⅜ inches. Zincke, a German-born who flourished in London, was renowned for his mastery of enamel painting—a technique he learned from masters like Jean Petitot. Working during the reign of George I, he created jewel-like likenesses for the elite, blending Rococo finesse with meticulous realism. Enamel miniatures like this one were prized for their permanence and portability, painted on gold or co...